Appearances
by Rinne
Summary: Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked into the interrogation room. Complete.


Title: _Appearances_

Pairing: None

Spoilers: None

Challenge: Interrogation/confession at LJ community ncis flashfic

Rating: K+

Length: 950 words

Disclaimer: Own nothing, but the idea is mine.

Credits: Huge thank you to Cha Oseye Tempest Thrain for a great lot of betaing. Things wouldn't make as much sense without it.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked into the interrogation room, evaluating the man opposite him as he sat down. Tall, bleached-blonde spiky hair, dark stubble. His posture was relaxed, but there was a distinctive wariness around the man's eyes. Being left alone in the interrogation room for an hour didn't appear to have rattled him; he sat with his chair tilted against the wall. It wasn't too surprising; two stints in prison for robbery and assault would have hardened him.

"How do you know Petty Officer Adams, Mr. Matthews?"

Matthews nonchalantly shifted his chair back onto all four feet. He smiled. "Who?"

Gibbs pulled a photo out of the folder he had placed on the desk. He slid the photo towards Matthews. "Petty Officer Adams."

The man picked up the photo and made a pretense of studying it, before throwing it back on the table. "Sorry, don't know her." He leered. "Wouldn't kick her out on a cold night though."

"We have a witness who saw you arguing with Petty Officer Adams."

"Really?" The man leant back, smiling and raising his eyebrows. "I find that hard to believe."

"Why is that, Mr. Matthews?"

Matthews leaned in towards Gibbs and flicked the photo at him. "Because I have never _met_ Petty Officer Adams, and anyone who said that I had would be lying."

"Petty Officer Adams was working for your boss, Arnold McDonald, dealing drugs."

Matthews didn't even blink before he replied, "Not possible."

Gibbs opened the folder. "You were seen arguing with Petty Officer Adams, and three hours later, she was found dead."

He dropped the photographs on the table in front of Matthews. Death in all its graphic glory, shown from every angle. Nothing hidden, all revealed. He watched Matthews' reaction, a flicker of something that was quickly suppressed; too quickly for him to determine what it was.

Matthews' lips twitched into a smile. "Not so pretty now, is she?"

* * *

"NCIS! Put the weapon down! Now!" 

Predictably, Matthews and his boss, Arnold McDonald, didn't follow the order. Both continued to aim their weapons at Gibbs, who had his own gun trained on McDonald.

Baltimore PD had graciously allowed Gibbs in on the takedown of Arnold McDonald's operation, after chewing him out for interfering with their investigation. Everything had gone according to plan, until McDonald and Matthews had tried to escape.

Matthews glanced toward McDonald and shifted his stance. Gibbs noticed the unconscious tell that McDonald was preparing to fire. Matthews looked again toward McDonald, seeming to pick up on the same signs as Gibbs, and sidled closer to the man.

"We need to get out of here!" Matthews said anxiously.

"There's no need to worry about that," McDonald replied. Matthews stumbled sideways against him, pushing his arm away from where it was pointing at Gibbs. The gun went off before Matthews twisted McDonald's arm behind his back, forcing him to drop it. "What the hell!" McDonald exclaimed.

Matthews pushed McDonald to the floor, keeping his arm pressed firmly behind his back. McDonald yelled in protest before Matthews pulled his own gun from where he'd holstered it and placed the muzzle at the base of his skull.

"You killed Emma you son of a bitch."

Gibbs moved forward, holding his gun on Matthews. "Put the gun down, now!"

"Special Agent Gibbs, you arrest the bastard, and I will."

"DiNozzo! Stop playing around! Cuff him." Detective King walked past Gibbs and tossed Matthews a pair of cuffs. Gibbs kept his gun trained on him, waiting for clarification. "Special Agent Gibbs, I believe you've met Detective Anthony DiNozzo," King said as 'Matthews' cuffed McDonald.

Gibbs lowered his gun. "We've met." DiNozzo stepped to the side of McDonald and yanked him up roughly, before passing him off to another Detective.

"Tony, a word." King gestured him away from the others with a serious look on his face.

When King stayed silent, DiNozzo spoke, "Why don't I just resign?" Gibbs was surprised by the exhaustion and bitterness in the words.

"Tony-" King started.

"No, I quit. Screw the department." DiNozzo strode away from King and past Gibbs.

"Crap, crap, crap."

Gibbs joined King in his contemplation of the wall of the warehouse. "What was that all about?"

King shook his head and snorted. "Just the PD loosing one of the best undercover cops we've ever had. DiNozzo's had some...disciplinary problems in the past, mainly with female officers." He rolled his eyes.

"Sexual harassment?"

"Yeah, never anything beyond verbal comments though. And if any of the officers told him to stop or complained about it, he did. There are a few, actually, who give back as good as they get."

"So, what's happened now that's caused him to quit?" Gibbs asked.

"A woman that was arrested on an undercover operation is claiming that he slept with her while he was undercover. And with his history..."

Gibbs was surprised. "Do you think he slept with her?"

"No, absolutely not." King's answer was definite. "But it's causing all sorts of problems." He shook his head again. "It's a real pity."

* * *

There was a wary look on DiNozzo's face as he walked towards Gibbs, who was leaning against DiNozzo's car, drinking a cup of coffee. 

"What are you doing here?"

"Did you sleep with her?"

DiNozzo brushed past him and unlocked his door. "Why do you care?"

Gibbs remained silent, and sipped his coffee.

"No, okay? I didn't sleep with her. Now can you please get off my car?"

Gibbs stood up, and started walking away. "I'll see you Monday, Agent DiNozzo."

"What?"

He continued walking.

"What if I don't want to work for you?"

"You like being unemployed, DiNozzo?"

Gibbs smiled.

_Finished_


End file.
